Testing-unit attachment for flash lights



MaT. 3. 1925.

' 1,528,709 c. R. TRIMBLE v TESTING UNIT ATTACHMENT FOR FLASH LIGHTSFi1ed May 4, 1921 g/ T r 6? /6 @LC TI1AVA-AVAVAVAVAVAVAVA 5 f A IWITNESSES T mum/r01? 60/? 776 f1. Tfi/MBLE A TTORNEYS Patented Mar. 3,1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

CURTIS R. TRIMBLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WING-UNIT ATTACHMENT FOR FLASH LIGHTS Application filed May 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,""CUR'rIs R. TRIMBLE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Man- I hattan, in thecounty and State of New York, have invented a new and ImprovedTesting-Unit Attachment for Flash Lights. of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description. i

This invention relates to an attachment for ordinary flashlights wherebyby removing the end piece of an ordinary flashlight and attaching thiscasing or unit the flashlight, including the lamp or the battery orboth, can be used in connection with'the'testing unit and for testingvarious circuit faults in the usual manner. I

Another object of the invention resides in the rovision of a simple,compact unit whic when in place on the lamp and not in use, can beefl'ectively covered to keep the air, moisture and dirt therefrom.

A further object resides in the provision of means whereby a separatelight may be used in connection with this apparatus in conjunction withthe ordinary light of the battery.

A still further obiect resides in the provision of a unit which issimple and compact,

and economically manufactured.

Another object -residesin the particular construction and arrangement ofarts which are hereinafter described and claimed and shown in theaccompanying drawings The invention in general comprises a unit whichcanbe screwed on to the end of an ordinary flashlight casing in place ofthe usual cover and which automatically establishes an electricalcircuit with the battery within the casing. This unit has, in connectionwith its body portion, a plurality of terminals or sockets into whichsuitable testing wires can be inserted in various ways so that thebattery of the flashlight or an antlight can be used to make variouselectrica tests;

The invention is illustrated in the .draw

in of whichlgure 1 is a plan view of the flashlight with the unitattached Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof;

Figure 3 is an end view of the unit;

Figure 4 is a detail; and

like plate 8 adapted to be threaded over the 4. It may be connected tothe end. of the 1921. Serial No. 466,728.

type, the bottom of the battery casing forms one of the poles andcontacting therewith tends to establish any desired circuit. Theseflashlights are generally provided with a button 5 to close the circuit,or a finger pushplate 6 adapted more permanently to establish thecircuit.

reason that an insulating or fiber sleeve or cover, such as 7, isgenerally disposed between the battery and the walls of the casing 1within which it is dis osed.

My invention more particu arly, however, comprises a unit which can bescrewed on to the end of the casing 1 in place of the usual cover. Itcomprises a flanged cupend of the casing. This casing or cuplike coverhas 'a central aperture 9 through which extends a cylinder 10 of anysuitable insulating material, such as porcelain within which, in anywell-known manner, is disposed a resistance unit 11. Across the end ofthis cylinder 10 is disposed a conducting plate 12. This conductingplate is adapted to bear against the base of the battery cell cylinderby any suitable means. One end of the resistance unit 11 is connected bya wire 13 to the plate 12 and also is extended by means of wire 14within the cylinder to a terminal socket or, sleeve 15 hereinafter to bedescribed. The other end of the resistance, asshown in Fig. 2, isadapted to be connected to a terminal 16 in the base of a socket 17adapted to receive an auxiliary lamp, such as 18. One end 19 of theresistance cylinder is adapted to be embedded in a body of insulatingmaterial or cement, such as 20, which fills the domelike portion 21 ofthe attachment unit. In this insulating cement the socket 17 is embeddedas well as the terminals 15 and 16 and a third terminal 22. Theterminals 22 and 15 are mounted on an insulating plate, such as 23, tosuitably hold them together. This plate is disposed within the dome 21beneath the outer end thereof and is held .against the inner face of thedome 21 by means of a screw 24 (see Fig. 3). An additional terminal orsocket 25 is supported from this insulating plate 23 but is metallic 1yconnected to the casing of the dome 21. A pivoted switch or groundingmember 26 is also connected by means of a screw 27 to the plate 23. Eachof the terminals 15 and 22, as will be noted from Fig. 3,- is surroundedby a washer or sleeve 28 of insulating material so that they are notelectrically connected to the shell or dome 21. By moving the groundingmember or switch 26, either the terminal 15 or the terminal 22 can begrounded at will.

As shown in Fig. 2, a shell or cover 29 can be disposed over the entireunit to protect the same from dirt, atmosphere or moisture. The innerend of this shell is adapted .to bear against a shoulder 30 on thecasing of the unit.

In Fig. 5 the circuit is shown diagrammatically. In Fig. 5, forinstance, the following circuit could be traced: from battery 4, throughlight 3, wire 31, through switch 5, to terminal 25. Fromthe other sideof the battery a circuit could be traced either through wire 32 toterminal 15, or through the resistance 11, through lamp 18, to terminal22. The plate 12 is connected to one end of the resistance 11, also tothe wire 32, as above 'noted. The pivoted grounding switch 26 is alsoshown. It connecting plugs on any suitable wire, such as 33 and 34, areplugged into the terminals 15 and 22, then any suitable voltage, such as110 volts, for instance, could be used to test out any desired circuitwith the lamp 18 and the resistance 11 in series. If these plugs wereconnected across between terminals 22 and 25, then the flashlightbattery 1 could be used with the resistance 11 and both lamps 3 and 18.On the other hand, if the plugs were connected across between terminals15 and 25, .then the flashlight battery and the lamp 3 would be usedwithout either the resistance 11 or the lamp 18.

If the plugs 33 and 34 are connected to terminals 15 and 22 with theswitch 26 closed, then the battery 4 and light 3 can be used in theordinary way and, at the same time, the resistance 11 and lamp 18 can beused together to test for circuit faults by using an outside voltage.

. What I claim is:

1. Atesting unit attachment for a flashlight battery casing, whichcomprises a testing unit including a resistance, a plurality ofterminals, and a lamp mounted on a flanged cap adapted to be secured onto the end of the flashlight casing and automatically to make'contactwith the casing and the battery when placed on the end.

2. An attachment for flashlights having a casing and a battery, whichcomprises a flanged threaded cap adapted to fit over the end of thecasing, a resistance unit supported from said cap and adapted to extendinto the casing when the cap is in osition on the casing, aconducting'plate isp'osed on the end of said resistance unit adapted tocontact with one pole of the battery within the casing, and a pluralityof terminals insulatingly disposed on said cap, one of said terminalsconnected to the conducting plate and another of said terminalsconnected to one endof the resistance, the other end of the resistancebeing connected to the conducting plate, and a third terminal groundedto the cap.

3. An attachment for flashlights having a casing, a battery and a lamptherein, whlch comprises a cap adapted to be threaded over the end ofthe casing in the usual manner, a resistance unit, a lamp and aplurality of terminals supported on said cap, and means associated withthe resistance'unit and projecting into the flashlight casing when thecap is threaded thereon to automatically make contact with the pole ofthe battery.

4. The combination with a flashlight having a casing and a cap'disposedover the end thereof and a battery therein, of a resistance unit withinthe casing and the cap, and means on the end of the resistance unitautomatically to make circuit with the'base of the battery within thecasing when the resistance unit is disposed therein.

5. The combination with a flashlight hav ing a casing and a cap disposedover the end thereof and a battery "therein, of a testing unit disposedwithin the casing and the cap, said testing unit comprising "aresistance, a plurality of terminals and a lamp, and means automaticallyto make contact between the casing, the battery, the resistance unit andthe terminals when the unit is disposed within thecasing.

6. The combination with a flashlight having a casing and a cap disposedover the end thereof and a battery therein, of a resistance unitdisposed within the casing and the cap, a conducting plate on the end ofsaid resistance unit to contact with one pole of the battery, aplurality of terminals insulatingly supported on the cap extending tothe outer surface thereof, one of sai l embedded in said insulatingmaterial, the

terminals connected to the conducting plate and another of saidterminals being connected to one end of the resistance, the other end ofthe resistance being connected to the conducting plate, and a thirdterminal being grounded to the casing.

7. An attachment for flashlights having a casing open at one end, adome-sha ed cap adapted to be threaded over the en of the casin a bodyof insulating material dispose within the cap, a resistance unit supported from said cap, one end of the unit other end of theunit,extendin'g into the resistance unit,

casing when the ca is threaded thereon, means on the end 0 theresistance unit to automatically make contact with one pole of a batterywhen the cap is screwed on to the casing, a plurality of terminalsinsulatingly su ported on the cap, a lamp supported on t e cap incircuit with one of said terminals and the inner end of the resistanceunit, a second terminal supported on the cap and connected to the otherend of the and a third terminal grounded to the casing.

8. An attachment for flashlights havin a casing and a hollow cap to bethread over the end of thecasing, a body of intect the lamp, resistanceunit and t sulating material to be disposed within the cap, a resistanceunit having one end embedded in the insulating material, the other endextending into the casing when the cap is fastened thereto, means on theend of the resistance unit automatically to make contact with one poleof the battery disposed within the casing when the cap is screwed on tothe casing, a plurality of terminals supported on the cap, a lamp incircuit with the inner end of the resistance unit in one of saidterminals, a second terminal connected directly to the connecting meanson the inner end of the resistance unit, and a switch grounded to thecasing and adapted to short circuit one of the insulating terminals.

9. A testing unit for flashlights having a casing and a hollow cap to befastened over the end thereof, a battery and a lamp, the battery beingdisposed within the casing andthe lamp sup orted on the cap, aresistance unit and a p urality of terminals also supported on the cap,and a cover adapted to be disposed over the outside of the ca to pro- Beterminals from the effect of dirt and moisture.

CURTIS R. Tamera.

